Intentional Training

Every year I learn a little more about myself, about marathons, and about effective training. For years I merely trained to finish the race, occasionally with a time goal or the goal of a new personal best, even if by only seconds. I knew in my heart that I had more talent than what is shown in my race results. Sometimes weather was the factor, sometimes illness (yes, I have plenty of bad luck on race day), sometimes I ran with friends, and sometimes it really was "for fun" or to finish happy. I was definitely better at coaching other runners than myself.

Last year, after a two year marathon hiatus and some health problems, I got back into the marathon game. Because I had lost speed and fitness, I was not in personal best shape when I set out on my journey to Louisiana. Through hard work and a tough training schedule I turned it around and knew that I could beat my 4:17:53 best time, but probably just barely. While race day weather didn't allow for that, and because I was still in the process of figuring out how best to handle my asthma in humid conditions, I couldn't push myself as hard as I wanted to without it being detrimental to my health. I am still happy with the race, although it was very far off my goal. It allowed me to come into this current training season with more mental strength than I've had in all previous marathons.

Back in April I made the choice that this was my year to be in my best shape ever. After feeling so miserable on our relay at the end of March, I knew it was time to make big changes. I got my medication problems figured out, I got my nutrition figured out, I lost weight and gained muscle, and because of all this work over the last three months, I am a much better runner. I've written about my progress a bit in previous blog posts. My training officially starts on Monday and I am ready for it. I have spent the last few months building my aerobic fitness in the warm summer conditions and slowly building speed through our interval and hill workouts. I got back on my bike and I got back into the gym on a more consistent basis. While our weather has decidedly taken a turn for the worse over the last month, my ability to handle it has increased positively. I am running just as well in the heat as I did in the cold and I'm still gaining speed. It's the first time this has ever happened to me in my decade of running in Texas. I no longer dread our workouts when it's 80 degrees out and the dew point is in the 70s. I know it will be uncomfortable, but I also know that my body can handle it....FINALLY.

You really have no idea how incredible this feeling is, not only physically, but MENTALLY. Knowing that I don't have to necessarily suffer through the summer is huge! Don't get me wrong...it is very uncomfortable running Thursday nights in triple digit heat (even though we do run in the shade), and I'd really prefer not having to try to beat the heat by running my long runs at 6am. But I am definitely more comfortable with the uncomfortable than I have ever been. Please let this feeling last!

I've also become much more intentional and focused with all aspects of my training. I'm better about wearing my heart rate monitor to be sure I'm not overdoing it in the heat, and to see if I'm adapting to the training. I'm analyzing my splits more than I probably ever have to look for improvement, even small improvement. I had to purchase a new multi-sport Garmin and finally upgraded to a Bluetooth capable model, the 920xt (thanks to my dear friend Doug!), and it's changed everything for me! My data analysis is now on a whole new level and I'm not sure why I suffered with the 910xt for as long as I did (okay, I didn't suffer. That watch was fantastic. I just sucked at syncing it to Garmin Connect). Being able to see how the watch can estimate my VO2 max (47!) and laugh at its race predictor (3:31 marathon my ass) is pretty darn cool. I've only worn it for a few runs so far, so I'm still assuming that marathon prediction will increase significantly with more run data, although it keeps getting faster so far. Strange watch.

Training like this has taken so much weight off my shoulders. I'm not stressing about my long run pace at all anymore, whereas I used to be so bummed if I didn't train at a certain pace all the time. By focusing more on my heartrate and cadence I'm able to steadily improve my aerobic fitness. Looking back on runs from years ago, my heart rate was ridiculous. I was burning myself out and not even realizing it. I'm consistently running on average with a heart rate probably 20 beats per minute less than I was back in those early marathon days. By being so specific with my easy/long run training, my body is efficiently feeding its muscles and burning fat as fuel. This is where the bulk of marathon training should fall. Because of the summer heat I can't always keep my heart rate quite this low (my target is keeping it below 140, or at least under that for the average), particularly running up hills, but that's okay. A heart rate a bit higher will help me build my cardiorespiratory capacity and improve my muscle strength and this is the zone I'll probably spend the most time in on race day. Several of my long runs down the road will include portions at race pace in order to simulate the feeling for race day. Then there are the tough runs...intervals and hill sprints. This is where I get into the anaerobic zone, and therefore improve my lactate threshold and performance. Proper recovery from the tougher workouts is vital (yay recovery runs!) to be able to continue to perform well during those particularly hard weeks. I'm just continuing to chant that mantra of "easy pace, easy pace, easy pace" (no matter how much my teammates laugh at how anal I've become). My long slow runs are paying dividends during hard workouts and will (hopefully, oh pretty please) pay off on race day.

Being okay with that pace and with that heat index is a long process

The crazy thing about analyzing the data is being able to quantify how I'm getting more efficient, while still getting faster. Tuesday's interval workout was a beast, but my heartrate never got into the red zone, not even once! My highest heart rate was 163 and the average stayed under 150. I was working very hard and practically threw up a couple times from the effort, but knowing that I technically was not overtaxing my system is a huge bonus (I'm going to chalk the pukey feeling to the Gatorade I drank after the previous night's bike ride....I have very little sugar in my diet but really needed the rehydration after the heat, so Gatorade it was....and it was so delicious). Being able to see this kind of data is helping me during each hard run. Even through the discomfort I know I can do it, even when my brain is trying to tell me I need to give up. I also realize that I can push myself even harder at our next interval workout.

Shit is getting serious starting on Monday. Every week my miles will increase. There are some weeks when I am running 6 days, and I'm not going to like it very much. But there's a Boston Qualifier inside of me and I need to find her and push her and make her do what's she's capable of doing.

Also, please be good to me on December 10, Mississippi weather. Pretty please.

It's working

I mentioned in yesterday's blog post that I intend on getting leaner. I'm not talking about a bunch of weight...10 pounds or so. Just enough to look "lean" and aid in my endurance running. In all my years of running I rarely discuss weight loss. But this time around I think it's so important for me to focus more on gaining lean muscle while dropping unnecessary weight. As a former trainer I do, however, realize that by gaining more lean muscle I may in fact stay at close to the same weight while dropping fat and inches from my body...and that's okay, too. I rammed that into the heads of my clients enough to know what the ultimate goal should be. As long as I help myself to become a better endurance runner, I'm good!

I actually got up the nerve to get on the scale today after months of not weighing myself. I paid attention to my weight a bit after the Louisiana Marathon and getting the flu because it had dropped, but it hasn't been a priority since then.

I stepped on the scale more than once because I couldn't believe the number it showed (and no, I'm not telling unless you ask nicely).

I've lost 7 pounds. (Don't laugh...that's a really big number to me!)

Just a few weeks of very intentional eating and more focus on strength training and my body is responding so positively. I am thrilled. I am motivated. 

This is SO SO SO GREAT. 

Caveat...I hate the idea of focusing on my weight. I've mostly just used how I look and how my clothes fit as my guide over the years because I think there is way too much focus on the scale number in our society and not nearly enough focus on body composition. Weight is secondary to our lean muscle to fat ratio, and we can in fact weigh more than it appears when we have a higher percentage of lean muscle. I do not want the number of the scale to become obsession.

However, I'll take this little win right now. It shows that I'm doing the right things for my body and it's responding in a positive way. It's the first step in meeting my next round of goals and the more I see results like this, the closer I come to those goals.

Training Plan

I've written a lot of marathon training plans, and for the most part I've been pretty happy with them. I think that I was more prepared for this year's Louisiana Marathon than I have been for past races, and it is just really unfortunate that the nasty weather prevented me from pushing myself harder. However, I don't regret adjusting my pace from the start of that race...I didn't bonk, I had some great middle miles, I didn't overheat despite the weather, I finished feeling better than I expected and overall I am pleased with my splits from the race. Do I wish it was 20+ minutes faster? Heck yes. That part will always bug me.

I ran more miles during that training than I ever have, with my two highest mileage months ever leading up to the race. The high mileage worked and I'm sticking with it for my December and January marathons.

I just finished writing my training plan and I'm both excited and slightly terrified of it. It will require constant, unrelenting running (imagine that), consistent strength training, a super strong core, and throughout all this I need to NOT GET INJURED. Hence the consistent strength training and super strong core. I've been running marathons for 8+ years...time to stop beating around the bush and instead throw myself into a training cycle that will seriously push my boundaries.

So how am I approaching this training cycle?

The plan starts in mid-July. The first marathon, Mississippi Gulf Coast, hits at the end of Week 21. Then five weeks later I run the second marathon, Louisiana. I don't necessarily need six months of training, but writing out those early weeks to ensure I get proper base mileage works well for me. When the harder weeks of actual training hit in August and September I will know I am ready.

Because it's peak of summer during those first weeks, there will be crosstraining in the form of cycling and (hopefully) swimming. I say "hopefully" because I am the world's most pathetic triathlete and I haven't even gotten in the pool. I actually got back on my bike this week and mostly enjoyed it, so that needs to continue. Ideally I want to be on my bike two times per week. Not exactly hardcore triathlon training but good for marathon training, and especially good for injury prevention. Somewhere in here a sprint triathlon would be so great.

The plan builds in mileage until I am consistently running 40+ mile weeks. I peak at 50 miles three weeks before Mississippi. At 180 miles, November will be my highest mileage month ever. Between October and November I will run 355 miles. I WILL WEAR OUT A PAIR OF RUNNING SHOES IN ONLY TWO MONTHS (Sorry, husband). In the 15 days leading up to and including my 22 mile run, I will run 117 miles. I'm going to need more tacos.

Faster runners run more than I will be running, but I am not fast (yet). I will be on my feet for hours upon hours every week, so 50 miles in my peak week sounds about right to me. For Louisiana I ran 42 miles peak week, and about 100 in the 15 days or so leading up to and including my 22-miler. I do anticipate being a bit faster for this training cycle (and if everything comes together like I hope, I will be quite a bit faster). We are upping the game this time around. For my last few marathons I've run three 20-22 milers and I will stick to that formula as it's worked very well for me, much better than those early marathons when I ran only one 20-21 miler. Probably going to also need more bacon.

I'm running five days per week. For years I ran 4 days per week, but enough with that nonsense. The back to back running days for Louisiana training did wonders for my mental strength. While the high mileage weeks were hard, they got easier as the training progressed and I got better and better on fatigued legs. I still remember finishing my 22 miler in that training cycle and feeling relief at a job well done. I had pushed through the the hardest part of my plan, and the 22 miler fell on the worst weather day all week, 100% humidity and topping out at 75 degrees when I was finished....which pretty much saved my ass when Louisiana's weather was identical on race day. Not only had I prepared my legs, but my head told me I could do it and that is half the battle on race day.

There is no way I will be able to accomplish this kind of training if I don't continue clean up other parts of my life. I completely changed how I fueled last year and it worked very well. My health improved dramatically. I will continue on that path, and continue to improve it further. Consistent hydration will be key, especially in those earlier summer months. The heat really won't leave the area until October so I'll have plenty of long runs in less-than-ideal temps. I can't screw up my hydration.

I am not overweight at all, but I will need to be leaner. I want to be faster and at my very fastest a few years ago I was quite lean and strong and I plan to get back to that. I felt great and running faster was much more effortless and I seriously miss that. I do need to remind myself that I wasn't even 40 then and I'm 43 now (turning 44 when I run Louisiana). Age might play a factor but I'm going to fight it as best as I can. I've already started the changes I need to make and I'm feeling great about them. I've had some really good gym sessions in the weeks since my March relay, and it's starting to show. My weight has dropped while my strength has increased. Planning ahead will be key but I'm not super consistent with that. Always room for improvement!

Sleep. I need to sleep. So much sleep. Naps are great.

RECOVERY IS SO IMPORTANT. I need to keep repeating that to myself. RECOVERY RECOVERY RECOVERY. Rest days need to remain rest days. Post-run fueling, foam rolling, stretching can't be skipped. I must remain injury free. My imbalances have really pissed me off in recent years but through every training cycle I understand them more and more. I have learned so much on what to apply to my strength and core training to fight these imbalances and keep my body running well. Did I mention there needs to be consistency? I might be a broken record but I have to keep telling myself this.

It's daunting to think of running through the Texas summer and yet trying to get faster. I might not see gains right away or very consistently, but with added lean muscle and (hopefully) fewer pounds on my frame I know those gains will show in spades as the cooler weather comes in the fall.

Writing all of this out is helping me to see the big picture. I'm still slightly terrified of the work ahead of me, but strangely excited. It will forever be so weird to me that this girl who never really did any sports growing up (well, I tried and I kind of sucked) is talking about running 800 miles in the second half of the year and tackling two more marathons by the time I hit my next birthday. Pretty damn cool.

Bring on the tacos.

Knock that crap off!

As I work with more and more clients and interact with more people on social media regarding fitness, I come across some interesting ideas and beliefs about weight loss. Some are pretty sound, some make total sense, and some....well, frankly, some just make me cringe. While I suppose I could correct some misinformation, I tend to hold back. I don't want to be "that person."

So instead....I'll write a blog post! I'm here to bust some myths about weight loss and get you to think differently about how to achieve your goals. I bet I'll even give you a goal or two you didn't even think you had.

Over the decades we've been bombarded with various weight loss secrets, diets, fads, fitness crazes, and everything in between, that guarantee quick weight loss. They focus solely on WEIGHT LOSS, but as we gain more and more knowledge, fitness professionals know that the number on the scale is only part of the picture.

I MUST GET TO A CERTAIN WEIGHT

There are so many times when I wish we could just throw out the scale. I understand it's importance when you are very overweight or obese, but there comes a point where the number becomes very unimportant. I weigh about 10 pounds more than I did in high school. But I'll take that 10 pounds because I'm in far better shape now than I was then....and I can still fit into my cheerleading skirt. You know why? 

MUSCLE

A pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. So as you lose body fat and gain lean muscle, you are becoming slimmer, even when you don't see the number on the scale drop. But you're still reaching your goal of becoming slimmer and looking better, right? YES! So who cares about the number of the scale, your BMI, all that crap. BMI does not take into consideration someone who is muscular and athletic, and will shift towards the "overweight" category even though that's ludicrous. It's especially unfair to men, who will typically weigh more at the same height as women because they tend to have more muscle mass.

Is your body hanging onto that last 5 pounds? So what! It probably wants to hold onto it. 

BUT WEIGHTS WILL MAKE ME BULKY

So I basically just told you to gain more muscle to be leaner, and you're wondering what the heck??

If you want to boost your metabolism and look better and leaner, then you must do resistance training. For every pound you lose through diet changes alone, 69% of that pound is fat, while 31% is muscle loss. Add cardio to your diet changes, and you've improved that fat/muscle loss ratio to 78%/22%. If you add in resistance training, that ratio changes to 97% fat loss/3% muscle loss. You've just vastly improved your body's ability to burn fat. Fat is metabolized in muscle, so it makes sense that muscle gain will boost your metabolism. 

Throw out the assumption that heavy weights will make women bulky. Because of the hormonal differences in men and women, specifically testosterone levels, an increase in muscle mass is less in women than in men. You will get STRONGER, but not necessarily bulkier. 

As a side note, in addition to an increase in your metabolic rate, other benefits of resistance training include the following:

• Increase in functional strength
• More power and strength for cardiovascular exercise
• Helps protect joints by taking pressure off of them, which in turn will decrease your risk of degeneration
• Strengthens the tendons and ligaments, allowing us to perform everyday activities and sports with a decreased risk of injury

MORE CARDIO!! MORE CARDIO!!

As much as we wish it was so simple, it's not about "calories in/calories out" only. Sure, if we consume way too many calories, our body is going to convert that to fat. But if it was only about maintaining a deficit, weight loss wouldn't be so tricky. Way too many people think that in order to boost our weight loss, we need to JUST DO MORE CARDIO! 

First of all, hours upon hours of repetitive cardio will not give you awesome muscle. As a matter of fact, you're going to start burning some of your muscle. Your body will start to adapt to the repetition of the exercise and your metabolism will suffer because of it.

You've seen the "fat burning zone" on cardio machines, right? Ignore it. While it's true that at lower intensities in an aerobic training zone your body will burn a higher percentage of fat versus carbohydrates, if instead you increase the intensity of the exercise, you are actually going to burn far more calories overall (and therefore far more fat). For example, let's say you speed walk for an hour, keeping your heartrate in that "fat burning zone" and burn 400 calories. You may burn about 60% from fat, so 240 fat calories. If you pushed your exercise into a higher intensity and burned 800 calories in that hour, at a 40% fat burn rate, you've just torched 320 fat calories.

When you push your body into bursts of anaerobic activity, you can achieve what is called Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption. In this state, your metabolism remains elevated AFTER exercise, something that strictly aerobic exercise won't do.

Think QUALITY over QUANTITY. An hour of interval-type training, with bursts of higher intensity, will benefit you more in the long run than two hours of lower intensity cardio. If you incorporate high intensity cardio bursts into a resistance training workout, you've just killed two birds with one stone.

Another downfall of too much cardio is the tendency to overcompensate when you refuel. You may end up overeating after a good workout. This is a big problem with endurance athletes. And it leads me to my next myth.

BUT IF I EXERCISE MORE, I CAN EAT WHATEVER I WANT

It doesn't matter if you burn off the calories. If you put crap into your body, it's still crap that is in your body. Food processed with God-knows-what is basically poison. If you don't put the right mix of REAL food into your body, you will never experience what your body is truly capable of. We still need the correct ratio of calories from macronutrients - 45-65% carbohydrates, 10-35% protein, and 20-35% fats. Additionally, we need nutrient dense foods - foods that are rich in micronutrients like essential vitamins and minerals.

Imagine how you would feel trying to run for an hour after consuming 800 calories from donuts vs 800 calories from chicken, rice, and vegetables. Still the same number of calories with far different effects on our performance.

Additionally, it's very easy to overestimate how much food we should refuel with after intense exercise. We all need to be prudent in monitoring our input in order to keep the energy balance moving the right direction.

And remember, it's possible to eat more quantity of food and feel full, yet consume a small amount of calories...imagine 200 calories of watermelon versus 200 calories of chocolate. That's a lot of watermelon and will fill you up whereas that small amount of chocolate will likely just leave your hungrier. Quality of Quantity!!

CARBS ARE BAD!! FAT IS BAD!!

The Atkins Diet really screwed up how we feel about we feel about carbohydrates. Additionally, the introduction of the "fat free" craze screwed up our thoughts on the benefits of fat in our diet.

WE NEED CARBOHYDRATES. WE NEED FATS.

Keep repeating that to yourself.

A severe restriction of carbohydrates does typically result in early weight loss, mainly due to the excretion of water from our bodies and the suppression of our appetite, leading to fewer calories consumed. But this is not a state that can be maintained over the long term and can have harmful effects on our bodies.

Carbohydrates are the preferred source of energy for our bodies. Take away that source, and you will find your energy will be depleted quickly. You will feel sluggish and not have the ability to perform to your potential. Carbs are also necessary for tissue repair.

If you are concerned about insulin levels, it's important that the majority of your carbohydrate-rich foods are on the low end of the glycemic index. The glycemic index classifies foods on their potential to raise blood glucose. Certain carbohydrates will cause blood glucose to rise and fall more rapidly than others. A more rapid rise and fall may make us feel hungrier more quickly than those foods that fall on the low end of index.

Regarding fats, our bodies absolutely need healthy fats. They are essential for micronutrient absorption, organ and joint protection, and growth and development. You can also derive energy from fats when your glycogen stores have been depleted.

Ignore most "fat-free", "low-fat", "sugar-free" stuff you find in stores. Chances are it's loaded with an excess of sugar, bad fats, or sodium that completely negates any benefit it's trying to emphasize. Choose real, unprocessed food the majority of the time. 

WELL THEN, I WILL JUST SERIOUSLY RESTRICT MY CALORIES

Not if you want to stay healthy over your lifetime, you won't.

It is not recommended that you restrict your calories to less than 1200 calories per day. For a heavy or active person, even that level is too low. Very low-calorie diets are typically deficient in the proper amount of macro- and micronutrients and can lead to malnutrition, poor energy and fatigue, an inability to succeed at any kind of fitness program, and a slowing of your metabolism. You are also at risk for binge eating, which will ultimately sabotage your weight loss goals.

One way to know how many calories your body requires is to calculate your basal metabolic rate, which is the number of calories we would burn if we were completely at rest. Once you know your BMR, you can calculate your basic calorie needs based on your activity level. It's easy to find these calculators online, but here's an example for myself:

At my height, weight, and age my BMR is 1347 calories. I alternate between being moderately active (1.55 multiplier) and very active (1.725 multiplier), so my range for caloric needs to maintain my current weight is 2087-2323 calories. If I want to maintain my current weight, I should not go below these adjusted numbers. Keep in mind, however, that a leaner body mass requires even more calories for maintenance (the formula falls short in calculating for this).

If you want to lose weight, you should plan to cut 300-500 calories per day from your daily energy needs. If you are very obese, you can cut even more calories, but again keep in mind that going below 1200 calories per day is not advised. You can see how much better your diet can become (quantity-wise) if you increase your activity level.

All that being said, I am not a calorie counter at all. I am a firm believer that if you choose fresh, real, healthy, unprocessed food the majority of the time, and don't eat beyond satiety, your caloric input will regulate itself properly.

Just remember, our bodies require fuel to function at their potential. The correct amount, the correct type, and consistently throughout the day.

So, in summary, is there a magic pill or a magic formula that will make the weight fall off with no effort on your part? The answer is NO. If you want to create a healthy, fit lifestyle for yourself and keep your body at a healthy weight (and that number might be higher than you think!), then you must make common sense choices every single day. There are too many myths out there that sound good, but are completely meaningless when stripped down. Sound choices include:

• Exercise that includes resistance training and higher intensity
• Food containing ALL the macronutrients and the micronutrients our bodies need to function
• Enough calories to properly fuel our activities and keep our metabolism efficient

Lastly, stop obsessing about the number on the scale and start obsessing about changing your body composition instead.

Did I change the way you think?

Chocolate Cake

I have a huge weakness.

No, it's not necessarily chocolate cake as the title of this blog post might indicate. It's dessert in general, which I refer to collectively as "chocolate cake."

What can I say? I am an endurance runner. I burn a lot of calories on a consistent basis. And dammit, I need that cake sometimes. I don't always feel too guilty about it, which isn't a good thing. I don't eat dessert everyday, which IS a good thing. But I'm thinking it's too much.

I've worked really hard in the last year to change my body composition. I know where I'm at today and I'm pretty happy with it....except for what I refer to as my "chocolate cake layer." In the gym and out on the trails I'm doing everything I can do build lean muscle and keep my fitness level where I want it. I have that part of my regimen down.

But you can't have it all unless you fix the problem in the kitchen.

I told my core class recently, after we ironically talked about dessert before class, that I can help them improve their core muscles and the intensity of some of our workouts is aiding in fat burn, but they are in charge of the final step, which is getting rid of that final layer covering up those increasingly strong muscles. I admitted I have a weakness just like them.

That damn chocolate cake.

One of my favorite fitness quotes is that you can't exercise away a bad diet. If you are still consistently eating too many solid fats, added sugars, processed foods, and fried foods, you must make changes in the kitchen. Making small changes in how you grocery shop, how you cook, and how you eat out, will have huge benefits in the long run. But unless you make those changes, those 6 pack abs just won't be what they could be.

I'm learning like everyone else how to be a better eater. I fail constantly, but I pick myself back up and get back into it.